Cowlquape's Dilemma
by The Dark Knight's Revenge
Summary: Cowlquape isn't what anybody thought, in fact, HE may not be a HE after all... When the secret about Cowlquape is revealed to him, Twig must take him Or her On the quest for the missing crew. Set in Midnight over Sanctaphrax.
1. Chapter 1

"Sky above, Cowlquape! Watch where you're going!" Twig scolded his apprentice as he tried to wipe spilt ink off his tunic. Cowlquape had tripped on one of the many books littering the room they shared, spilling ink all over Twig.

"I'm so sorry prof- I mean Twig!" Cowlquape cried, turning pink from head to toe. Twig's expression softened when he saw his apprentice in distress.

"Don't fret, I think this is a sign that i'm only meant to wear black, don't you?" Twig joked.

"But it's your only white tunic..." Cowlquape wailed miserably.

"Does Sanctaphrax have a shortage of tunics nowadays?" Twig asked his apprentice amusedly. Cowlquape hung his head. Twig gave up on wiping the ink off and instead pulled the garment over his head, tossing it in the laundry bucket.

In spite of himself, Cowlquape found himself staring at his companion, unable to take his eyes away from the taut muscle of Twig's stomach and arms.

"Cowlquape?" Twig's voice startled him. The apprentice realized that he had been caught staring at another man, and flushed bright red from head to toe. Twig cleared his throat, and Cowlquape promptly fled the room.

Once outside, Cowlquape scurried down the many winding alleys of Sanctaphrax, avoiding the rain and not really worrying about where his feet were taking him. He needed to clear his head. The stormy air would do his mind some good.

After wandering a ways and unsuccessfully trying to get Twig's naked chest out of his head.

"Oh, what's the use?" Cowlquape sighed, stopping to sit against a wall. He combed his fingers through his spiky blonde locks, removing the wax that held the hair in place then wiping the makeup off his face. The rain had done a good job already.

It was useless to pretend anymore... The fact that HE was really a SHE wouldn't stay a secret for long.

Cowlquape's Leaguesman father had been ashamed at her being born a girl, so sending her off to Sanctaphrax as a supposed scullery maid had been a blessing in disguise. It had been her mother's idea to dress up as a boy and apply to be an apprentice. Turns out, she was a better actor than she thought. Also, the bulky apprentice's robes made it easy to hide her figure.

Then there was Twig... Blasted female feelings.

"Cowlquape! Cowlquape!" Twig's voice came, and the apprentice swore before pulling the hood of her robe over her head. Twig raced by, then stopped and backtracked.

"Excuse me, miss? Are you all right?" Twig asked tenderly. Cowlquape nearly choked in surprise. Twig truly didn't recognize her?

"I-I'm fine" Cowlquape let her voice rise to it's normal pitch, sounding completely female. Twig held out his hand, offering to pull her up. Cowlquape took it, and in one swift movement, Twig brought the apprentice to her feet and flicked the hood back.

Cowlquape's gold hair slid down her shoulders, bringing a rosy flush to her cheeks. Twig's mouth fell slightly open, but he shut it again.

"Tell me, apprentice. I seem to have lost a young lad by the name of Cowlquape. Do you know of him?" Twig asked. Cowlquape froze, trying to think up a decent lie.

"Aye, I know of him. Troublemaker, that one. "He 'as a good 'eart though" Cowlquape said, adding an Eastern undertown accent.

"That he does. If you happen to see him, send him home" Twig replied, unable to tear his eyes away from her face.

"Aye, I will" Cowlquape replied softly. Twig cleared his throat nervously, and Cowlquape resisted the urge to giggle. Who was being caught staring at whom now? Imagine, Captain Twig, speechless because of a maiden.

"If you find him, I shall be in you debt" Twig raised bent fingers to is head in a polite salute. Cowlquape bowed her head respectfully. Twig then took his leave, heading back in the direction of his office.

Cowlquape watched him go, then pulled a tub of tinted hair wax out of her pocket, smoothing her hair into it's usual duller spikes. Next came the makeup, making her skin look more rough and ruddy.

When finished, Cowlquape her hood over her newly spike hair and checked her reflection in a puddle. Breathing a sigh of relief. The awkward apprentice everyone hated was back again.

With that thought, Cowlquape hitched up her robe, running through the heavy rain at full tilt towards Twig's study.

* * *

Pausing outside the door to the rooms they shared, Cowlquape cleared her throat and thought about what she could possibly say to Twig. Things were becoming confusing all too quickly...

Before Cowlquape could decide, the door swung open to reveal Twig himself.

"There you are!" The sky pirate yelled, grabbing Cowlquape by the front of her robe and yanking her inside. Twig then began to rummage around in the drawers of his desk, throwing papers absolutely everywhere. Cowlquape noticed that he had put his ink-splattered tunic back on for reasons unknown.

"Cowlquape, I can't find that compendium of randomly odd weather formations" Twig yelled from under a pile of scrolls.

"Second cabinet in the kitchen, under the compendium of mushrooms" Cowlquape said, realizing she was dripping on the carpet.

"Ah yes! Why we have weather and fungi in the same cabinet I have no idea" Twig said, scattering more papers as he dashed to the kitchen. Cowlquape watched after him, feeling her spirits settling lower.

"Here it is, I knew that something was- Cowlquape! Stop dripping on the carpet!" Twig scolded, Cowlquape suddenly felt light headed. Perhaps sitting in the rain hadn't done her any good... And being close to Twig now... It all made her head hurt.

"For goodness sakes, lad. Have you been listening?" Twig's voice broke through the fog in her mind. Cowlquape looked blearily up at her professor, who was on the verge of dropping a load of scrolls.

"Professor..." Cowlquape began, but was interrupted by the room tilting a very odd angle, then everything going black. The last thing she saw was the blurry form of Twig lunging to catch her before she hit her head on one of the bookshelves.


	2. Chapter 2

Cowlquape's mind wandered through white fog as she struggled to awaken. Every time it seemed that the fog was getting thinner, she was plunged back down into darkness, only to repeat the struggle for consciousness a moment later.

Every once in a while, Twig's voice floated through the fog, calling her name. Cowlquape fought harder, wanting to get back to her dear master and captain.

Finally, the fog cleared for good. Cowlquape opened her eyes.

"Sky above! Thank heavens you're awake!" Twig shouted, bolting up from his chair in the corner of the room. Cowlquape looked around the small gray room, completely confused as to why she was here instead of in her bed.

"How do you feel, lad- i mean...ahem. Cowlquape?" Twig asked.

"My head hurts..." The apprentice replied, fiddling with the long ends of her blonde hair.

Wait...

Cowlquape ran her hands over her scalp, beginning to panic when she realized the wax was gone. So was the makeup... She looked down.

So were her robes...

Cowlquape let out a surprisingly manly shriek and tried to cover her figure more with the hospital blanket and get as far away from Twig as possible. This ended with her slapping Twig and falling backwards off the other side of the bed, blanket landing on top of her.

"Goodness..." Twig said. "You were never this fussy when you were a man, Cowlquape. Simmer down!" Cowlquape flushed bright red under her blanket.

"So, you know my secret." She said in her normal register, glumly letting her head thunk on the wood floor.

Twig came over to his apprentice, pulling up the corner of the blanket to reveal Cowlquape's face.

"Yes, and so far... I'm the only one. Your secret is safe with me." Twig said. Cowlquape sighed in relief.

"You're not going to turn me in to the council?" She asked.

"No." Twig replied, straightening up and offering his hand. Cowlquape took it, blushing with the memory of the other day.

"Please return to your bed, Cowlquape. You'll get sick again. I'll go find you some different clothing." Twig said as he averted his eyes from her figure.

Cowlquape looked down and gasped, realizing she was wearing a very thin white shift. She snatched the blanket from the floor, covering herself and going back to bed, her cheeks tinged pink.

"Wait.. Twig?" She asked as her Master began to leave. He turned.

"How did you keep this a secret?"

"Told them you were my new maid." Twig said with a wink. With that, he was gone. Cowlquape blushed. Twig was never much one to wink at people, not even when telling a joke.

A bubbly feeling began to build in the bottom of her stomach, and Cowlquape smiled.

* * *

Twig cursed and mentally berated himself as he took a wrong turn for the third time going back to their room. He kept getting distracted by the sight of Cowlquape in front of him, practically naked... He was-SHE was beautiful, and oddly attractive for him.

Twig remembered seeing Cowlquape while on the search for Cowlquape... An odd thought to be sure. He wassurprised that he hadn't recognized his apprentice. So distracted was he by her beauty.

CLANG.

Speaking of distracted...

Twig rubbed his forehead, staggering back from the metal signpost he had just run face-first into. He looked up at the street signs, rubbing his forehead.

How in the bloody edge had he managed to get all the way to the cloudwatcher's college? That was on the complete opposite side of Sanctaphrax from his house and the infirmary... Blast.

Twig set off at a run, determined not to get distracted this time.

Once at his quarters, Twig let himself in and proceeded to Cowlquape's small closet of a room. He opened the door, jaw dropping at the tidiness of it. Everything was in its proper place, the books shelved in alphabetical order by category. It was unnerving compared to the utter disarray of the main rooms.

Twig moved to the closet, taking a heavy robe off of the hanger and folding it over his arm. He then proceeded to the small chest of drawers in the bottom of the closet.

The first drawer contained all socks. Twig selected the most cheerful pair he could see, a nice light blue. He added the socks to the pile then moved to the next drawer, immediately slamming it shut again as his face burned.

Twig hadn't had much experience with women, but his time with the pirates had taught him enough to know that the contents of the drawer were not for his eyes.

Twig almost turned around and left with what he had, but his common sense got the better of him. Cowlquape had no clothes. And from what he had seen at the infirmary, that meant NO CLOTHES.

Twig sighed and closed his eyes, reaching back in the drawer and grabbing the first thing his fingers touched, burying it in the heavy Apprentice's robe. That should do Cowlquape until she could get back to the room.

As Twig left, he spotted a tub of hair wax on Cowlquape's desk. He pocketed it, setting off for the hospital at a jog.

As he ran back to his apprentice, Twig vaguely wondered why he was doing this. He could just as easily leave the lad-...GIRL to the council. But then Cowlquape would be sent back to Undertown... Not the place for an innocent girl.

The thought of being separated for Cowlquape made Twig's chest ache uncomfortably. He enjoyed his apprentice's company during the long hours he spent studying. The sound of Cowlquape's soft breathing, the rain against the window, and the rustle of pages had become routine during the evenings.

As Twig's hand rested on the doorknob to Cowlquape's room, he heard a loud high-pitched scream erupt from inside. Twig dropped the clothing, throwing open the door with his heart in his throat.


End file.
